The Updated Google+ Hashtag System

Google’s new round of improvements announced at the 2013 Google I/O brought a huge change to how your Google+ posts are tagged and sorted. What might seem like a small update in the way hashtags work is actually a big improvement. Let’s dive into some of the changes.

“Automagic”

If you're like me, you love hashtags... Well, maybe “love” is a strong word. OK... they’re a great way to sort through related posts and grab engaged readers, but they’re a little tedious at times. The beautiful part about the new system is that much of the work is done “automagically” for you. Say, for example, you post a picture of your favorite space delivery boy. Google+ can now correctly assign the “#Cartoon” hashtag:

The new system isn't perfect yet, but it's learning

Clearly Sorted

The new hashtag list has a new home right at the top, neatly tucked away in an expandable list. You’ll also have the option to remove hashtags (from your own posts) you don’t feel apply. This all makes for a very clean and effective use of screen real estate:

Related Hashtags

Clicking one of the hashtags in that list brings up a list of four related posts and a list of similar topics: